Wirt x Reader - Remember Me?

The Way Back

    Wirt paced the whole time (y/n) and Beatrice were gone. He didn’t go out after them simply because he didn’t know where they were. Beatrice could have taken (y/n) to the other side of the Unknown for all that Wirt knew. But that didn’t keep him from worrying. What if she told (y/n) that he liked her, and (y/n) didn’t like him back? He had it worked up in his mind that such rejection was inevitable. (y/n) would never like him if he couldn’t even work up enough courage to tell her that himself. Then again, even if he did, she wouldn’t like him anyway. There was no possible way that she could. He would just end up awkwardly friend-zoned again, like with Sara.
    When the door opened again Wirt froze in place. He could feel his heart drop from his chest and sink down into the ground. Now that Beatrice undeniably told her, what would (y/n) think? Agh, everything was ruined. Nothing could ever work out for him, could it?
    Beatrice had a wide grin on her face when she entered. “Hey there, Worry Wirt.” She greeted.
    Wirt couldn’t help but glare at her. She had probably just ruined whatever he had going with (y/n), which admittedly wasn’t much to start off with. Sure, things had been awkward between him and (y/n) before – nothing could ever not be awkward when Wirt was involved – but now it would be tenfold since she told her.
    However, Beatrice didn’t appear too concerned with it. She was already moving on to a different subject. “By the way, where’s Greg?” She asked.
    Greg. Wirt’s thoughts were pulled away from this farcical mess of emotions and was reminded of what really mattered. “He’s lost out there, somewhere. We have to find him.” Wirt mentally sighed. He wasn’t lost out there in the Unknown, but at home. “But first we have to find the Woodsman. That’s why we came here, but…”
    “Oh… Well I can tell you where he lives now, if that’ll help you.” Beatrice explained, “We kind of took our house back after we became human again, and he moved back to his.”
    Wirt remembered when he first became lost in the Unknown with Greg, and the Woodsman taking him to this place. At the time it had been dark, creepy, and completely out of place. I found this homestead abandoned. The Woodsman had said,And I repurposed its mill for all of my needs. 
    Now it clicked. When Beatrice and her family had turned into birds, they couldn’t live in a house anymore. Wirt had seen it himself; they lived in a tree. It only made sense that they’d return after becoming human again. Wirt also remembered something that the Beast had said to the Woodsman. Are you really ready to go back to that empty house? 
    Apparently he was.
    “You see oak tree?” Beatrice said as she pointed across the river from where she stood at the window, “There should be a path behind it. Go there, and follow it to the right. It’s not too far away from here.”
    Wirt had become elated. He suddenly knew where to go to find the Woodsman, who could undoubtedly help. He could finally get back to life with (y/n), and go find Greg. This nightmare could finally be over. “Perfect. We can go find Greg now!” He said, already at the door.
    “Wait you idiot, it’s dark out!” Beatrice said with a glare, “At least stay the night.”
    When Wirt looked at Beatrice, he saw something that he had never seen in her before. She could feel it as well. When he left, there was no guarantee that he’d be seeing her again. He felt a tug of sorrow pulling at his heart. He was surprised to find that some part of him wanted to stay. He wanted to remain here, with the friends he knew he shouldn’t have. He couldn’t help it. He’d grown close to them during his time here. The adventures, the danger, the nostalgia… All of it had been on a quest to return home. So why was it so hard to part when he was on the cusp of everything he’d been working towards? It was even more difficult now than it was the first time!
     But you’re dead. 
    The thought rang through Wirt’s mind without mercy. Everything that had happened here was but a sweet lie. The lives that the people built here weren’t real. They were dead; every last one of them. Even Beatrice. That was why Wirt had to go. He couldn’t allow himself to decide to stay here. He had to get back to life, he had to. 
     “I’m sorry… But I have to go find my brother.” Wirt spoke, the words having more meaning than she could have ever imagined.
     Beatrice was clearly hurt by his decision. But she covered it up by crossing her arms and huffing. “Alright then. Just… Don’t get hurt, okay?” She said, staring at him solemnly.
     Wirt returned the look and nodded. He glanced at (y/n) to let her know she should follow him, then walked outside. He didn’t look back. If he did, then he might change his mind. He went to the river and crossed it without a second thought. It wasn’t the massive entity it had been earlier. Wirt was no longer afraid simply because he knew that he was already dead.
     The oak tree was easy to find, even in the dark. Once he reached it he turned and began to walk in the direction Beatrice had pointed him, going at a rather quick pace. The sooner he reached the Woodsman’s house, the better.
    (y/n) walked alongside him, but he didn’t have the nerve to speak to her. After Beatrice’s house was far behind him, he began to think about what he would be able to say. Could he say anything? He knew that Beatrice had told her how he really felt – there was no doubting that. But he didn’t think that he could address that fact until they were home.
     Yes, home was a good distraction. He ignored the jittery feeling he got from just being beside her, and focused on getting home. The sounds of the wood at night didn’t even scare him once he realized that soon he’d be alive, back in Bendle Park with (y/n).
     A large wooden cabin came into view. At first it was a dark object lurking behind the trees, but once Wirt reached the clearing, it was clear to see what it really was. Smoke rose from the chimney, acting as proof that there were people awake inside. Wirt approached the building and walked up onto the front porch. The fact that it had a porch was made the home archaic. It simply wasn’t a commodity anymore.
    Wirt knocked on the door thrice. Silence came over everything. For a moment he wondered if anyone would even answer. Who would at this hour? Just as his spirits began to plummet, the door opened.
    A girl stood on the other side of the threshold, a lantern in hand. She appeared to be about Wirt’s age, with brown hair and eyes to match. She stared at him in confusion for a few moments before speaking. “Yes..?”
    “Oh, um, hi.” Wirt said, not knowing how to respond to her. He shifted awkwardly before saying, “We’re, um.. We’re looking for the Woodsman.”
    The girl’s confusion faded as she turned away from them. “Father! There are two children here to see you!”
    Shuffling could be heard from inside, and within a few seconds the Woodsman had made his way to the door. His eyes grew wide upon seeing Wirt, and he broke out in a grin. “My boy, you’ve returned!” He said, clearly delighted to see him.
    Wirt never thought that he would be so relieved to see the older man. He had once been creepy – and at one point Wirt was convinced that he was the beast – but now he was the sum of all the hope Wirt had left. “Woodsman!” He said, smiling himself. “I’m so glad we’ve found you. We’re lost again, we were hoping you’d give us directions.”
    “Of course! Here, come inside!” The Woodsman said as he ushered both Wirt and (y/n) into the cabin. Wirt was relieved that the Woodsman seemed to know a way to get them back home, and followed him inside without question. Within minutes the Woodsman had them set down by a warm fire with cups of hot cocoa in their hands. Wirt drank his gratefully, and was glad to see that (y/n) seemed to be enjoying hers as well.
    “So, you want to know the way back home.” Woodsman spoke, now more jaded than before. The girl from earlier sat in the corner of the room, watching with bright eyes. It took a few moments for Wirt to realize that she was his daughter. He was suddenly filled with happiness for the Woodsman. He didn’t have to go back to an empty house after all.
    “Yes.” Wirt answered, staring at the Woodsman earnestly. “My brother is at home, and I need to get back to him. We need to get back to him.” Wirt explained with a glance at (y/n).
    “I see.” The Woodsman said as he folded his hands in his lap. “The Unknown has a tendency to pull back those who escape, boy. You’re lucky to have found me, or else you might have been lost here forever.”
    Wirt shuddered at the Woodsman’s words. He didn’t know whether the man knew what the Unknown really was or not, but something about the way he worded things suggested that he knew more than what most others did.
    “There’s a pond not too far south from here.” The Woodsman said, his tone becoming distant, “Go down to it, and you can find your way from there.” He paused as he came back to reality. “But remember, the only true way home is within yourselves.”
    It was vague and kind of ominous, but Wirt would take it. Nonspecific instructions were better than none. Wirt stood, and said, “Thank you, Woodsman. I’m sorry to leave so soon, but we really have to get home now.”
    The Woodsman understood. He nodded and said, “Very well, then. Off with the both of you. Try to keep from becoming lost again, if you can.” He spoke with a wise look in his eyes. Wirt wondered how many children the Woodsman had seen come into these woods and never come out. The poor man never knew what the Beast turned them into, nor what he did with them. Not until that fateful night, that is.
    Wirt thanked him one last time before walking back out the front door. Everything was moving at an incredibly fast rate – it was almost too quick to be real. Within one day he had gone through the school and Pottsville, and within one night he had seen Beatrice and the Woodsman. Now he had the way home in the palm of his hand. It was like his previous adventures were put on fast forward, and some parts were skipped over entirely. But he was alright with that. If he’d gone to see Lorna and Quincy Endicott, he wouldn’t have the strength to leave.
    Wirt walked in the direction the Woodsman had specified with (y/n) following him. He didn’t speak. He was far too focused to even think about speech. He was taking them back to life, and back to Greg. That was all Wirt really needed to know.
    The pond was not far at all. He reached its waters within five minutes. Wirt froze, and took in the scene that laid afore him.
    The water’s surface was smoother than glass. The night sky was a dark blue, with pinpoints of stars as the only interruption. The air was thin, cold, and crisp, and it was almost as if it had taken on the feeling of thin paper. The grass was laden with dew, which shined in the faint light of the moon. There was no sound to be heard, and the silence was deafening. The overturned half-moon reflected on the surface of the pond, acting as the centerpiece for the beauty that surrounded him.
    The urge to immerse himself in the pond was overwhelming. He looked back to (y/n), and spoke with more certainty than he ever had before. “(y/n), we have to go in.”
    (y/n) nodded in agreement, and it was clear that she too had come under whatever spell the pond casted. Wirt extended his hand towards her, and she took it. Together they walked into the waters, Wirt gripping (y/n)’s hand tightly for fear of losing her in the depths of the unknown.
    Within seconds the water overtook them. Everything turned black for Wirt, though he could still feel (y/n)’s hand in his. He suddenly felt cold, colder than he ever had before. That was when something awful ripped through his mind. It was a very simple thought, but the sheer truth of it nearly made Wirt cry. The way home was only meant for one of them.
    The Woodsman’s words were suddenly thrown back at him with a vengeance. The Unknown has a tendency to pull back those who escape.
    And so, Wirt let go of (y/n)’s hand.